Now, Why This Recipe and What Makes It Special?

This Gluten-Free Chocolate Chunk Cookie recipe has honestly been our favorite cookie we’ve made all year at the Test Kitchen. We keep making batches and we keep going through them because they’re just that good. These cookies are addictive in the best way, and there’s something about them that keeps you going back. The biggest difference in this recipe compared to a regular chocolate chip cookie is the melted white chocolate that goes into the dough. That white chocolate pulls out so much flavor that would not be possible otherwise. I used Milkboy white chocolate for this because that’s the brand we always use for gluten-free recipes that need chocolate. It’s worked well for us in so many recipes, and we’ve enjoyed it both in baking and just eating it straight (not a sponsored post, just telling you what works). It melts well, it tastes clean, and in this recipe it really came through. It added this rich, smooth flavor throughout every bite of the cookie.

Another thing that made a huge difference was the flaky sea salt. Don’t skip it. Sprinkling it right after the cookies come out of the oven is the best time to do it because it sticks to the top of the cookie and really ties all the flavors together. It’s small, but it matters. And for the chocolate chunks, we actually used what we already had on hand. We were planning to use a different chocolate but didn’t have it, so we ended up using Guittard. We like to use the dairy-free 46% milk chocolate and the 63% dark chocolate in this recipe because they are soy free and gluten free, basically free from all 14 allergens. We melted them, spread them into a sheet on parchment, chilled it, and then cut it into chunks. That gave us this mix of both milk and dark chocolate without having to go buy something new. It also let us control the size of the chunks, which I liked better than just using chocolate chips.

One thing I loved was that when folding the chopped chocolate into the dough with a spatula, the chocolate was still slightly room temperature, so just a little bit of it started melting into the dough. That slight marbling of chocolate really changed the cookie in such a good way. It added flavor throughout without turning it into a full “chocolate cookie.” It stayed a chocolate chunk cookie, but the flavor was deeper and more interesting. All these little pieces, the melted white chocolate, the sea salt, the custom chocolate chunks, really worked together in a way that made the cookie special. It’s a recipe you can share during the holiday season, especially for anyone who needs something gluten-free, soy-free, and gum-free but still wants something that tastes amazing. And truly, that’s one of the reasons I love this one. Most blogs have chocolate chip cookie recipes that look amazing, but if you have intolerances like we do, you may never get to make them. Here at Brimly, we want you to still have that moment, and this recipe gives you that!

Lessons Learned

One of the main things I learned is that you have to chill the dough. Because we’re using butter, it’s going to want to spread in the oven if you skip that. Fifteen minutes in the refrigerator helps the dough firm up enough to bake properly. But I also noticed something else, letting the dough sit on the counter for another fifteen minutes after the fridge makes a difference I can’t fully explain. Gluten-free baking works differently, but that extra fifteen minutes at room temperature gave me a better texture and a better overall shape. It’s worth doing.

Another lesson is to actually whisk the sugar, salt, egg, and vanilla for the full two minutes. Don’t cut it short. That two-minute mix helps everything stay smooth when you stream in the melted butter and white chocolate. And the streaming step itself matters. It helps everything combine properly without clumping or splitting. After that, adding the dry ingredients and then the almond flour keeps everything cohesive, and then folding in the chocolate by hand with a spatula gives you the best texture.

How to Make It Your Own

There are simple ways to switch things up without losing the structure of the recipe. You can change your ratio of milk chocolate to dark chocolate depending on the flavor you want. You can chop the chocolate into bigger chunks or smaller pieces depending on the texture you like. You can mix different chocolates together the way we did, or use just milk chocolate if you want something lighter. If you want a little extra flavor, you can add a touch of warm spice. You can also press a few extra chocolate chunks onto the tops of the dough before baking, that gives a nice finish. This dough is easy to adjust in small ways and it still turns out wonderful.

Pro Tip:
Let the mixer run for the full two minutes when mixing the egg and sugar mixture.

Summary Notes:

This is a very simple recipe, but every small step counts. The melted white chocolate in the dough changes the flavor in the best way. The chocolate chunks melt just enough, and the flaky sea salt pulls everything together. It’s gluten-free, soy-free, gum-free, and it’s honestly one of the best cookies we’ve made this year. If you’ve been wanting a real chocolate chip cookie experience but can’t have gluten or soy, this one will give you that. And at Brimly, that’s exactly why we make recipes like this.

Tried it? Let us know how it went in the comments below.